God Moments

If you read my blog much you know I'm a Christian who believes God is awesome! Sometimes though, He just amazes me. Two very cool things happened that are clearly God and His marvelous timing.

1. I often bargain shop and then ship a huge box to my favorite charity His Kids Too! that provides humanitarian aid for Ukrainian orphanages. My box is almost full but still had a space about the size of a large blanket. So off I go to Walmart, but they have nothing at all on sale. As I'm standing there, I said a tiny prayer in my heart. "Lord, help me find the right thing at the right price." At that very moment, my cell phone rings. It's my daughter. She's out shopping and has run onto to some great bargains for things we know the kids over there need so badly. She wants to know if I have any room left in my box!!!

2. A couple of nights ago a situation we're involved in needed prayer. An important meeting was taking place the next day across the ocean, but it was being held at 4 a.m. our time! My daughter is a prayer warrier too, so she prayed and then told God that if He wanted her to get up at 4 a.m. and pray again to please wake her. She went to sleep at peace, knowing God would take care of it. Guess what happened? At 4 a.am., her cell phone rang, awakening her. It was a text message from a friend in another country who knew nothing about the prayer request! Needless to say, my daughter rose, marveling at God's power, to pray.

God is so cool.

Great links, blogs

I am blessed to part of several on-line author groups. All of them give out prizes that require nothing but leaving a comment. So, please stop by for a visit, meet some authors, check out some books, and see what the ladies of writing have been up to.

1.. Six authors got together to write a great series called the Wedding Planners. Check out the blog, leave a comment for a chance to win a prize.

2..Another terrific blog with all kinds of interesting stuff going on is the Harlequin Romance Authors blog. You'll find a list of the latest books from thisi wonderful traditional line that is celebrating its 100th year of publication! Imagine, one hundred years of touching hearts and bringing enjoyment to millions of readers. There is always a contest going on so leave a comment.

3..Last but not least, check out the Love Inspired Authors website. Every quarter we give away a huge basket of books and seasonal goodies of all kinds. Our site is getting an overhaul soon, so be sure to check back and let us know what you think about the new look.

Class reunion

Wedding Planners' Blog from Harlequin Romance (click)

Today I attended a class reunion, one of only two I've attended in (ahem) a whole lotta years. Being a from a small town, our class had only about 50 graduating seniors. At the time most of us were very close but distance and years and other things pulled us away and I had not seen most of the attendees in a very, very long

time. I was very surprised to have an absolute blast. All those people are even more fun and interesting today than they were in 1968. I guess by this age, the facades disappear as well as the need to impress or not to look stupid or whatever makes us do all that posturing when we're young. It was marvelous to just be who we are.

And the best part? I really like who these old friends have become. I hope we stay in better touch this time.

Someone said I should write a book about a class reunion. You know what? Maybe I will!

Have you ever 'gone back home' to a class reunion? What was it like?

Kung-fu Kitty, Win a Target Gift Card

No, this photo has nothing to do with anything except I think it's cute. Cat's do the cutest things. Even cat haters think so. I actually think this kitty is thinking, "Look, Mildred, I can balance on both legs. Can you top that?"

By the way, I sure hope you're checking out the Wedding Planner's blog over at http://harlequin-theweddingplanners.blogspot.com/ There's lots of fun and interesting stories going on plus big, big prizes. Great prizes including a gift card to Target (and who can't use that?!) , so don't miss out!

Recipe for honey barbecued chicken

Wow, it is already Thursday? I just finished lunch and my rat terrier is bugging me to let him outside with 'daddy' but I wanted to share my noon recipe with you.

Honey Barbecued Chicken

2 chicken breasts

1/2 cup each honey and your favorite barbecue sauce mixed together.

Wrap chicken in foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes until nearly done. Then slather both sides with the sauce. Leave uncovered and continue to bake until the glaze 'sets'. You can also put these on the grill if you'd rather.

It's easy and delish. You can use this sauce on any parts of chicken or you can slice the breasts into strips. I use the leftover sauce at the table for dipping because I love, love the flavor of honey-barbecue.

The Plotting Circle

Yes, I'm chuckling right along with this cute kitty cat. Yesterday

I had the great fun of speaking to the Oklahoma City Metro Writers'. What a delightful group of ladies and men! --The kind of folks you like to hang out with who are so supportive and enthusiastic. Many of the attendees seemed to find the material really useful, so perhaps, if you're a writer, you would too.

My topic was using mythic story structure to create a plotting circle for a novel. Now, while that sounds all academic, it's not really. It's a technique I've devised to make my life simpler. Whenever I start a new book, I draw a circle and use the mythical 'hero's journey' to lay out the bare bones basics as a guideline. Then, as I write, this guide keeps me focused on the major points that have to be in the story.

If you're interested in an abbreviated version of the plotting circle, check out my website under "For Writers". I'm currently revising that article to include more detail and better explanation so stay tuned!!

And if you'd like to hear me teach this topic in person, I'll be speaking at the Red River Romance Writes in Wichtia Falls, Texas, June 5. So come on down!!

Pajama Gram

Ever heard of a pajama gram? I hadn't. Until today that is when one arrived on my doorstep via one of my favorite guys--the UPS driver. It seems my awesome, fabulous sister-in-law and brother decided I deserved to relax and get some rest. So they sent me a pajama gram, complete with ' mini vacation' door hanger, mini pillow, and a pair of the cutest 'coffee cup' pjs.. If I have time tomorrow, I'll snap a pix and share it with you. So cute!

I have a great family. Thanks, SIL!